THE RATING ACT, 1876.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 812, 30 August 1877, Page 2

THE RATING ACT, 1876.

The people of Newcastle have entered a protest against the nonadaptability of man/ portions of the Rating Act to this part of the Colony, and especially a^ re_rar Is the system of valuation. Tiie following petition to the \sseui;>:y is now lying for sisjnatiuM *t t . ruawahia aiid at W.i:itawh ita, Hid Will, after the 6r.h of S^ >!esub • r, >>c forwarded to the M-.-rn^ar of ,he district, ior preseuca&iou to tiie House-: — To the Hon >arable the Bou c of Rei>re«. aontativ s of th« Colony «>f Aew Z-a- -->.. l*u<i, m Seiaioa astom!) .&l : Toe Petition of the Undesigned > ratepayers m tin N-WJ*-»tl- aiding, County of Wain , Provincial District of Auckland, dumbly aiievretb — I—That1 — That many parfcs of the Rating Aot, 1876, as regard* tl»« bygtem of valuftfou, are not adapted to hia p.»rt of the Colony. 2— That it is not judicious fo m r .duce into a partially settled dixt'ict, having a large quantity of laud uncoupled, and io a stat* of nature, a system of valuation and rating which is only BuiteJ to fully settled townships. 3—l bat the present system of valuation oa iB3B general disoontent the >ug;ioufc the country districts. 4 — Chat rating on the value to sell an<! not valuing improvements, has hitherto wurke I well, ami has mot with the approval of the settlers generally. 6— That the tendency of legislation should be to encourage settlement, whßreaa the present system of valuation for rating purposes has a directly opposite effect. 6— That to tax the improvements on farms ia new dUtriots, is not analogous to taxing improvera nts m old establuhod towns, as these improvements are part of the farmers stock ia trade ; moreover, for some years, any return der ved from them must be expended m making farther imp ovements. 7 — That we are spending thousands every -year m importing labour, and discouraging the Bettier from employing it, as we tax any capital he may expend m so doing. B— That the principal burden of the rates falls on the industrious resident settler who invests his oapital m bis farm, whilst an absentee owner, or jone who lives on his land, but does not cultivate it, and invests his capital elsewhere, escapes very lightly, 9 -That tha effaot <,f tb« n*w system of valaition m ibe Newcastle Dissiicc ha 3 bee j that, whilst a maximum -aie of one peuny ia th« -pound on the v ; »iue to sell, without valuing impro-.«me«'B (old system of valuation), produced 14^ per cent, more than the maximum /ate of one suil in^ m tue pouuel on the annual value, improvementa b-ing valued. (Nmv system of valuation) 44 resident setters owning 45 per otnt of land, pay 70* per cent of the rate, inatmd of 40£ per cent as heretofore, a »d 121 non-residents owning 55 per ueut of the land only pay 29* peroeuo oi tiiw rate instead of 50J per cent as uudw the old system, thm lowering tbe laxation of the nou-reaideut* 21 por oeut, aud ad»

ding 21 per cent V4hß^4l4eJit a4-V tax on their improvements, that is to eay^ .on their oapital and iriduifcry« ; 10— That the expense of the valuation . i in 'the Neweastla dislriofcj fbr the present yeas, has been 21i per cent on the total rate, and m tb« (own of NgwSUWabia - per|oent on the total rate. , 11— That it is aimoatf impossible lor tjk^ valuers to deoiie on the annualvaluje of any farm m thess districts. There is, no data to go upon. ; t 12 -That the valuation lists shew that the annual value&V as : arrived *at' by jthe valuers are very variable, sometita'es being only five par cent on the value of the f«e simple, sometimes as high j as twelve per cent, or more. ■; • , ; 13— That after th)B first valuation, a valuation list every third year would be suffici-nt. In other years, the valuation to be retained 'subject tdoorrefotion and addition by supplemental lists' to be issued at the direoCion of the local 'body - ' f ■.'■ -i .':.■■/ , . That thia Aot ha« token away the power of fixing the rate from the'rate. payers and given it to the District Board, which, your 'petitioners . consider an jast afferthey have exercised the power so n. any years. > T Your petitioners therefore pray that your Honorab'e House will take this Btareme { t of their views into your oon* aideration, and will cause the Bating Aot, 1876, to he so ammended as to restore to the ratepayers the power. to levythe rate at their annual meetings and also to discontinue the present expensive and oppressive method of valuation, and ijevflrttotbe system hitherto practise under the Auokland Highway Aot, 1874. Nt And your petitioners as m duty bound will ever pray. .-■•... , :